The classic ketogenic diet is not a balanced diet and only contains tiny portions of fresh fruit and vegetables, fortified cereals and calcium-rich foods. In particular, the B vitamins, calcium and vitamin D must be artificially supplemented. This is achieved by taking two sugar-free supplements designed for the patient's age: a multivitamin with minerals and calcium with vitamin D.[3] A typical day of food for a child on a 4:1 ratio, 1,500 kcal (6,300 kJ) ketogenic diet comprises:[27]
To prevent side effects such as the keto flu, begin transitioning your meal plan gradually. Start by understanding how many carbohydrates you take in most days. Then begin slowly reducing your carbohydrate intake over a period of a few weeks while gradually increasing your intake of dietary fat to keep your calories the same. You should also make sure to seek guidance from a professional to make sure this plan works best for you and your health goals. “See a dietitian and adapt the diet to fit your long-term needs,” Spano recommends.
And good news for coffee addicts: you can still have your morning cup of joe. You’ll just need to adjust what you stir into it. Switch out flavored creamer for the real deal—full-fat heavy whipping cream, which has only 1 gram of carbs per tablespoon. If you want to give your java a jolt of sweet, stir in a low-carb sweetener that uses sugar alcohols. But if you can skip the sweet, even better. In time, you’ll retrain your palate to not crave a sugary start to the day.
You may have heard by now that I finally wrote and published a “real” book called Keto for Life!!! The reviews are in and people are loving it! Already a best seller, you can learn more about what you’ll find inside Keto for Life by clicking here! OR head over to Amazon to check out the reviews of Keto for Life before snagging a copy for yourself!
Short for “ketogenic diet,” this eating plan is all about minimizing your carbs and upping your fats to get your body to use fat as a form of energy, says Scott Keatley, R.D., of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. While everyone's body and needs are slightly different, that typically translates to: 60 to 75 percent of your calories from fat, 15 to 30 percent of your calories from protein, and 5 to 10 percent of your calories from carbs.
This low-carb chicken pad thai is one of the best keto recipes for replacing Asian takeout. It’s got all of the flavors that come with normal pad thai, like ginger, crushed peanuts, tamari and chicken, but all served up on spiralized zucchini instead of carb-heavy noodles. Best of all, you’ll have this keto chicken recipe on the table in just 30 minutes.
A small Feb. 20, 2017, study looked at the impact of a six-week ketogenic diet on physical fitness and body composition in 42 healthy adults. The study, published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism, found a mildly negative impact on physical performance in terms of endurance capacity, peak power and faster exhaustion. Overall, researchers concluded, “Our findings lead us to assume that a [ketogenic diet] does not impact physical fitness in a clinically relevant manner that would impair activities of daily living and aerobic training.” The “significant” weight loss of about 4.4 pounds, on average, did not affect muscle mass or function.
I am a type 1 diabetic of 57 years. I am my doctor’s only patient that has had this disease this long with no diabetic problems. My A1C average is 7.0. My experience with eating a Keto diet is my blood glucose goes very high when eating more fat. I got no help from doctor, so I learned by trial and error to take more insulin for the among of fat I eat. I have it down to a percentage. If eating 6 carbs for breakfast and 18g of fat, I divide 30% into the 18g of fat, which will be 6. I add the 6 with the 6 carbs and I take 12 units of insulin for my breakfast. Not only do we need to take insulin for the carbs we eat, but also for the fat when eating the amount you should consume on a Keto diet. I have been using My Fitness Pal for 9 years to document everything I eat, keeping up with the total calories, carbs, fat, sodium, protein and sugar.

Patty, Atkins puts in suggestions, like their own products, which are processed foods. The main plan is great and you can easily do it without processed foods! They emphasize fresh veggies and whole fat foods. Easy to use both these plans in conjunction. It’s what I’m doing. I eat almost all organic, whole foods. I’m going to try this ketogenic kick to see if I can break my stall.

Hi, I know this is an old post but I did a very strict keto based diet back in May and lost 30 pounds in 2 months which was great, now I’m trying to keep this pounds off, especially after the holidays. I came across your site a while back and remembered an email that a friend sent me. The menu here is great but I wanted to know if there was an alternate to the cream cheese pancakes (not a big pancake fan). Thank you!!!

Achieving optimal ketosis hinges on finding the right balance of macronutrients (or “macros” in keto-speak); these are the elements in your diet that account for the majority of your calories, a.k.a. energy—namely, fat, protein, and carbohydrates. By the way, it’s often “net grams” of carbohydrates that are counted toward your daily intake; “net” deducts the amount of fiber in a food from its carbohydrate total.

Thanks so much Kelly! Not sure what the Atkins intro is, but I’m sure they have their reasons! Maybe if it’s slower it’s to ease the detox symptoms that cause some people to quit and then figure it’s better to ease into it. Personally I’m about ripping off the bandaid and getting it over with, ya know? So glad you and your husband are on board – keep us posted on your progress!!!
A low carb diet plan is a way of eating that is high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbohydrates. There are different variations of low carb, and the keto diet is a special type of low carb with added characteristics. The number of carbohydrates will vary depending on your insulin tolerance and activity level, but on average, these are the common numbers of carbs:

I too started Atkins years ago- back in the ‘80’s. I did well as long as i stuck to it. But, it’s a tough road and restaurants and snack food companies are not very low carb friendly. It’s all too easy for me to grab something quick & the donuts in the break room do me in everytime!!! I read your post this morning & It inspired me. I also am 57 and have been discouraged lately with my weight and lack of ability to stay away from carbs. But, I am going at it again – and this time with a vengeance. Thanks again for your post – very inspiring & appreciated. By the way – I found that Mellissa’s website the best for keto. Her recipes are simply delicious and not over complicated or time consuming. She also has a great sense of humor. It’s nice to know she goes through the same trials we do – and what it’s like to mess up !! !!. Thank you Mellissa for your articles, recipes, humor and your perseverance!!

You’re very welcome, Judy! I’m glad it’s helpful. If you are keto (as opposed to low carb), unfortunately peaches would not allow you to stay in ketosis. You can check my keto food list to help determine what is keto friendly. Of course, there are worse things than fresh fruit 🙂 but in the end our bodies still see the sugar. That being said, it doesn’t mean you sabotaged the whole day. Just pick up again – you got this!! (And for next time, try some fresh berries in moderation when you’re craving fruit.)
The first signs of ketosis are known as the “keto flu” where headaches, brain fogginess, fatigue, and the like can really rile your body up. Make sure that you’re drinking plenty of waterand eating plenty of salt. The ketogenic diet is a natural diuretic and you’ll be peeing more than normal. Take into account that you’re peeing out electrolytes, and you can guess that you’ll be having a thumping headache in no time. Keeping your salt intake and water intake high enough is very important, allowing your body to re-hydrate and re-supply your electrolytes. Doing this will help with the headaches, if not get rid of them completely.

A: The most common ways to track your carbs is through MyFitnessPal and their mobile app. You cannot track net carbs on the app, although you can track your total carb intake and your total fiber intake. To get your net carbs, just subtract your total fiber intake from your total carb intake. I have written an article on How to Track Carbs on MyFitnessPal.

I am just starting 3 Day Keto Kickstart. I will need some support as I find it very difficult this time to start dieting. I do not seem to be focused enough. I want to lose weight but…and those would be the reasons/excuses (a lot of them) I have been stuck at this weight for over 2 years. I am on the line of healthy weight and overweight. Maybe that’s the reason my weight refuses to shift.
The Johns Hopkins Hospital protocol for initiating the ketogenic diet has been widely adopted.[42] It involves a consultation with the patient and their caregivers and, later, a short hospital admission.[18] Because of the risk of complications during ketogenic diet initiation, most centres begin the diet under close medical supervision in the hospital.[9]
The ketogenic diet tries to bring carbohydrates down to less than 5 percent of a person’s daily caloric intake – which means eliminating most grains, fruit, starchy vegetables, legumes and sweets. Instead, it replaces those calories with fat. That fat is turned into ketone bodies, which are an alternative energy source: besides glucose derived from carbohydrates, ketones from fat are the only fuel the brain can use.
Hi Mellissa. I am starting your 3 day kick start menu today (again) and was wondering, how do you calculate the carbs in sugar free syrup (with the LC pancakes)? Do you subtract the sugar alcohols the same as you do fiber? I’ve added about 1 Tbsp. to the pancakes but if I don’t subtract the sugar alcohols, it would be around 14 carbs! Help? Thank you!

I’m thinking about trying Keto for the very first time in order to help my hormone levels and lose some weight. As I scrolled through your menu plan, I clicked on some recipes. I noticed that they included fruits/veggies that weren’t included in the menu. For example, there are strawberries with your cream cheese pancakes and chocolate mousse. There is also red pepper with the chilli and lettuce with another item (maybe the chilli or the tuna?) Are these items calculated in the carb count for the plan? I have NO CLUE how to calculate net carbs or even calculate carbs using fresh fruits/veggies. Are there any fresh fruits/veggies that are freebies like lettuce or cucumbers? I really don’t want to botch this and feel even worse or lengthen the keto flu. Finally, do I need to factor in vitamins that I’m taking (Magnesium, B complex, and D3? Do they have any carbs that I wouldn’t expect? TIA for any insight you can provide.

Sleep enough – for most people at least seven hours per night on average – and keep stress under control. Sleep deprivation and stress hormones raise blood sugar levels, slowing ketosis and weight loss a bit. Plus they might make it harder to stick to a keto diet, and resist temptations. So while handling sleep and stress will not get you into ketosis on it’s own, it’s still worth thinking about.